How to Construct a Table

There might be a thousand ways to make a table, but there are some general characteristics that are common to each and every one. Your table surface must be level. Your table should have four legs. Your table must be sturdy. With these basic assumptions in mind, a brief general discussion of making a table will follow. Does this Spark an idea?

Instructions

1

Start with the table top. Your table top can be as simple as a sheet of plywood or you could use a sheet of plywood as a sub base for a table top made from pieces of scrap wood assembled together on top of the plywood like a jigsaw puzzle. No matter how you make your table top it must be sturdy, flat with a smooth surface. For this table project, cut a circular design from a -inch sheet of plywood and attach it to a frame with legs. Overall height will be around 3 feet.

2

Build a frame to support the tabletop and hold the legs. To build a simple frame all you need are some decent quality lumber with the dimension of 1 X 4 inches. From these pieces of wood you can make a simple box frame. Make sure you cut four braces for each corner and make sure that the corner is square before you install the braces. The frame can be put together with wood screws and by using butt joints on the corners.

3

Make or purchase four legs for your table. There are some advantages to buying table legs. They are usually made from a lathe, so the visual quality is usually very high. You can also cut simple table legs yourself or scrounge around your house or a wood salvage yard for something suitable such as old banister posts.

4

Attach your legs to the inside of the 1 x 4 frame. Wood screws should work and if you attach them all along the width of your 1 x 4 frame your legs should be sturdy. If not then some sort of bracing might be necessary.

5

Sand and finish your table. An orbital sander (electric) should be all you need. After you finish the last round of sanding which requires that you use fine sandpaper, then apply a finish. A plastic finish such as polyurethane is a good choice.